To go back to the GP for this

[ChickyDuck]

I've got an ear infection for which I visited the GP yesterday morning. At the time it was fairly mild, quite sore and uncomfortable but manageable. She gave me some antibiotic drops for it, saying to go back if they hadn't worked after a week and she would prescribe oral antibiotics.

I have used the drops as directed since then (I.e. twice so far) but over the course of yesterday and tonight the infection seems have got so much worse. It's so sore it keeps waking me up even though I have taken both paracetamol and ibuprofen. It feels like there is fluid in there which moves around when I move my head, but nothing comes out at all. I have a burning/throbbing sensation which feels quite close to the opening of the ear canal, and my hearing is really muffled with lots of wooshing and popping type noises.

WIBU to try and go back to the GP tomorrow even though I've only had the drops for 24 hours?

Friendly bump....

If it’s painful enough to wake you up then I would pop back. If it very suddenly gets better then still go back in case the ear drum has perforated.

Yes YWBU. You have an infection and they've given you antibiotics so you need to give them time to work.

Hmm...contradictory responses

Any other thoughts..?

I think you need to give them a bit longer to work tbh.

My daughter had an ear infection last year and our GP didn't even prescribe antibiotics. Said studies have found that antibiotics don't help and most of them clear up on their own in the same amount of time. He would only prescribe antibiotics if it appeared that her immune system wasn't coping with the infection, so if she had a fever of over 39 degrees and was vomiting. Told us what to look for which could indicate the ear drum had burst but other than that paracetamol and ibuprofen regularly and wait it out. From what I was told at the time it sounds like you have a build up of fluid in your ear drum which is causing you the pain and whooshing sounds. The pain will disappear if the drum bursts. My daughter's cleared up in about a week so I would say keep going with the antibiotics as instructed and wait it out.

I once had an ear infection. Anyibiotiics didn't work. Awful pain. Turned out it was a boil in my ear. Different drops given and then it was lanced.
Hope you feel better soon
I wish I had went back to doctor sooner

i would think you should go back,

can you speak to GP and explain it is worse now?

Personally would wait for at least 48hrs, and be taking regular pain relief, ibuprofen and paracetamol. It takes time for the drops to work or the symptoms to calm done. Discharge and a small perforation in the eardrum isn't actually a bad thing- can mean the pressure is released and you become more comfortable. A heat pack or cool pack on the outer ear can also help to alleviate symptoms whilst you wait for the pain relief to kick in.

Hmm I might give them a call when they open and see if they can advise. It really is very sore but I agree the drips haven't had much time to work. My main concern is how much worse it's got since I saw the GP yesterday. I don't have a temperature or anything, although my jaw is quite achy and stiff on the infected ear side.

Go back in OP right away. The general rule from Doctors is that if it actually gets WORSE then you need to go back right away! It's not about 'giving them time to work', that would be ok if the pain was the same. But it's getting worse so you need to see your doctor again.

Thanks folks, I rang them this morning and had a telephone consultation. They've asked me to go in again at 2:20 so I'll see what they say then. Very glad I called because it's excruciating now, I've taken as much paracetamol and ibuprofen as I can and I can still barely function, and my jaw is really stiff on that side :(

So apparently it doesn't look dreadful but I do have a bit of a fever so she's given me oral antibiotics to complement the drops

glad you got checked out